Freeway ramp closures along Hwy 100 likely to frustrate drivers

WAUWATOSA -- If you thought getting up and down Highway 100 near Bluemound Road was hard enough, just wait until a little later this week.  Freeway access is about to change significantly.



\"It's a hassle, you never know what to expect,\" coffee shop customer Julie Turner said.



You could classify Turner as someone a little fed up with the Zoo Interchange project.  She's not alone.



\"I know my mom will not come to this area,\" Turner said.  \"She will avoid it at all costs.\"



Turner meets clients several times a week at businesses along Highway 100 and Bluemound Road.  But starting Thursday night, that will get a lot harder.



\"We're into the next phase of kind of building the box around the interchange,\" DOT project supervisor Jason Roselle said.



Access to northbound Highway 100 from I-94 will close at 9:30 Thursday night. 



You also won't be able to get on eastbound I-94 from Highway 100 north.  That'll last for the next year.



Scott Struebing uses those ramps just about every day.  He understands people's frustrations, but knows the work is necessary.



\"I expect people will adjust,\" Struebing said.  \"But at the same time, they're going to have difficulty.  It's going to make things very congested.  Probably going to increase work travel by 15 to 20 minutes.\"



Detours to get to Highway 100 north will make you exit I-94 on Moorland.  To get to I-94 east from Highway 100, you'll need to enter down on Greenfield.  Customers, and businesses alike, are just looking forward to the project being done.



\"I think we just have to accept it,\" Turner said.  \"The weather is a factor in Wisconsin.  We have to accept it.\"



\"If you're not complaining about construction, then you're complaining about potholes,\" Struebing said.  \"So you need to figure out what's going to work, what needs to happen.\"



For more information on closures and detours, find the DOT website link on the News Links Tab near the top of our website.